Burgundy

One of the most important wine regions in France, Burgundy is recognised for producing expressive, terroir-driven, red and white wines, predominately made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Burgundy is home to a myriad of vineyards and over 100 different appellations, divided between thousands of producers/owners. The slopes of the Saône River provide the diverse terroirs that give this region such variety, beginning in Auxerre (Chablis AOC) in the north, and continuing to Lyon (Beaujolais AOC) in the south.

The top wines, for the most part from the Côte d'Or, have become increasingly popular on the global market. This is perhaps unsurprising as some of the worlds most elegant and delicate wines are made here. The Côte d'Or is also home to the world’s most consistently valuable wine, which is made with grapes from the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grand Cru vineyard of Romanée-Conti.

Geography

Located in the mid-east of France, Burgundy is not a single, large region like Bordeaux. It consists of five, separated sub-regions spanning 180 miles: Chablis, Côte d'Or, Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais and Beaujolais, each with their own climates, soil types and wine styles. Generally speaking, Burgundy has a northern continental climate, which brings severe winters and hot summers - more extreme conditions than are found in Bordeaux. The continental climate also increases the chance of spring frosts and hail around the time of vine budding; in the worst cases this has the potential to destroy an entire crop.

The soil composition varies throughout Burgundy, however, clay soils tend to dominate. Chablis is unique though, as it sits on the same limestone and clay basin that is found in Champagne. Limestone soils can impart the unique flavours of, flint and minerals into the wines. Of all the vineyards in Chablis, a scant, two percent are Grand Cru. These exceptional sites are situated in one continuous block, on a south-facing hill that is north-east of the village of Chablis. Most Chablis wines are ideally consumed in their youth. However, because of their superior location, the Grand Cru wines are richer and are capable of long-term cellar ageing, much like their counterparts in the Côte d'Or.

Burgundy's finest region, the Côte d'Or, is 65 miles south of Chablis and is divided into two communes: the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune. The best vineyards on the Côte are on the mid-slope and face east, with a slight bias to the south, allowing for optimum ripening of the grapes. The Côte d'Or is home to 32 Grand Cru vineyards, most of which are found in the Côte de Nuits.

Wines of excellent quality can also be found to the south of the Côte d'Or, in the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais. The Côte Chalonnaise boasts a significant amount of Premier Cru vineyards (many more than in the Côte d'Or), while the Mâconnais is renowned as a source of good value white wines made from Chardonnay.

The final sub-region in Burgundy is Beaujolais. Like Chablis, it is a unique region and produces quite different wines than the rest of Burgundy. The soils, dominant grape variety and climate of Beaujolais are all unique and ultimately so are the final wines. Beaujolais focuses its efforts on growing the Gamay grape, which, with few exceptions, produces simple, fruity wines that are best consumed when young.

History

Like many regions in northern Europe, vines were introduced to the area by the Romans, however in Burgundy there is evidence to suggest that vine growing was happening long before the Romans invaded the region. Although the origins of Burgundy's viticulture still seem unclear, what we know for certain is that the early Roman Catholic Church and the monks in particular, took an aggressive role in planting and maintaining the vineyards. Ultimately, it was the Cistercians who would have the most influence over Burgundy's winemaking. Their patience and attention to detail first discovered that different vineyards seemed to consistently provide the better grapes and produce the higher quality wines. This precise examination would later lead to the Cistercians creating walled vineyards (called a Clos) that would not only separate each unique terroir, but would also create a mini micro-climate within the walled vineyard. One such vineyard, Clos de Vougeot is still producing great wines today.

During the 14th and 15th centuries Burgundy was ruled by the Dukes, who insisted that the only red grape variety to be used should be Pinot Noir. Duke Philip the Bold even went as far as to declare Gamay unfit for human consumption. After the French revolution, many of the vineyards were taken from the hands of the Bourgeois and the Church, to be sold back to 'the people' of France. In the same period, Napoleonic mandates declared a change in inheritance law so that all family members received an equal share. This meant that, vineyard holdings became quite small and, occasionally, a person could even find themselves owning just a single row or two of vines, sometimes in multiple vineyards.

Due to their small holdings, some growers could not produce a commercially significant volume of wine and were obliged to sell their grapes to nègociants (brokers). Nègociants would buy grapes or ready-made wines from various growers, which they would then blend, bottle and sell under their own name. Many of the famous Burgundy producers began in this way, including: Maison Louis Jadot, Maison Louis Latour, Maison Joseph Drouhin, Faiveley and Bouchard Père et Fils.

Burgundy’s global reputation grew during the next century, with wines from the top vineyards and the best blends from the nègociants remaining highly sought after. During World War II the soils and vineyards were neglected and the wines produced were of lesser quality. After the war, the vineyards improved during reconstruction and the 1950s proved to be a very successful decade for Burgundy, due to the availability and use of fertilisers. As the farmers continued to rely on chemicals, the soil became lifeless and the yields increased, with the resulting wines becoming thin and less concentrated. Fortunately, in the mid-1980s more growers turned to natural production techniques, with many adopting organic or bio-dynamic methods. These same growers are now reaping the rewards of healthy, productive vineyards.

Burgundy's AOC System

Unlike Bordeaux, where classifications are awarded to individual Châteaux, Burgundy classifications are granted to specific vineyards, or dedicated regions that will bear a given classification, regardless of the wine's producer. This focus is reflected on the wine's labels, where appellations are most prominent and the producers' names often appear at the bottom in much smaller text.

Premier Cru – The Village or Commune name is used, followed by the name of the specific Premier Cru vineyard (for example Volnay Les Caillerets 1er Cru). If blended from other Premier Cru vineyards in the same village or commune it bears that name, as is the case with Volnay 1er Cru.

Village/Commune – Grapes that are used from neither Grand Cru nor Premier Cru vineyards, but which are within the boundaries of the village/commune AOC, are given that name, for example, Grevey-Chambertin.

Regional – Can be produced and blended throughout the region, and is not held to the same regulations as the above, for example, Bourgogne Blanc.